


Stray

by VampireNaomi



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Christmas, Friends With Benefits, Loneliness, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22050670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampireNaomi/pseuds/VampireNaomi
Summary: Lupin should probably start wondering if he and Albert have something nobody else can give them, or if they are holding each other back from something better.
Relationships: Albert d'Andrésy/Arsène Lupin III
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	Stray

The sharp glow of lamp posts reflecting off the dark asphalt made the streets feel desolate and lonely, but Lupin had a spring in his step as he hurried along the sidewalk. A car zoomed past him, splashing him with slush, but his shoes were already wet from walking through countless puddles. He passed a couple of other people who were still out late and trying to get somewhere warm and dry. It was close to midnight, almost the end of Christmas Eve.

He’d left his car home because the drive from Gaston’s had used up almost all of his gas. He hadn’t planned on coming back to Paris after only a couple of hours and a hearty meal in the country town where Gaston’s family lived, but here he was anyway, cold, out of breath and holding two paper bags close to his chest. 

He felt more excitement than he could remember in a long time.

***

For a conman, Gaston had a remarkably happy family life. Three generations were living in the big farmhouse that had been in his wife’s family for well over a hundred years, and one of his daughters was expecting a child with her husband. The invitation to spend a few days with them had surprised and delighted Lupin. Their home was cozy, warm and welcoming - all things that Lupin wasn’t used to, so he’d thought he’d soak it up and be drunk with holiday cheer.

Lupin could remember the Christmas parties where he’d been dressed to the finest and told to be quiet as the adults talked. Every now and then, a guest looking for a distraction would make a comment about the future heir’s work at school, or the music and art lessons he was taking, or what a capable lad he was growing into, and Lupin would keep his face neutral but secretly bask in every good word some stranger said about him, and hope that either of his parents might ruffle his hair afterwards. 

Both of his parents had been talented and busy with numerous responsibilities, and he had never been allowed to forget how he should be grateful for every minute they gave him. When they had died, it hadn’t really changed his life that much. Suddenly he just didn’t have anyone to impress, so his performance in all his pursuits had suffered for years. By then he’d been moved from one family friend or distant relative to another so many times that he wasn’t sure anyone had even noticed or cared that he’d fucked off to do his own thing and find his motivation again at sixteen.

Lupin did his best not to think about the lavish parties where he’d felt like a stranger in his own home, or the much quieter but just as lonely holidays he’d spent with whoever afterwards. Right now, he was surrounded by the kind of love and closeness that the younger him had thought only existed in books and movies.

This should have been his happiest Christmas yet, but he couldn’t help but feel more and more awkward by the minute.

It turned out that being surrounded by so much goodwill was hard to stomach when you’d had to fight for scraps all your life. Gaston’s mother made sure his plate was never empty, his wife insisted he sit in the middle of their children as if he was one of them, and some cousin’s grandkids surrounded him and demanded he play with them.

So much kindness, and he didn’t even have to put on his best swindler smile to get it. These people just took him in, not knowing a single thing about him other than that he was one of Gaston’s latest proteges. It was too good to be true, and when he saw Gaston looking at him with a smile, all he could think about was how he didn’t really belong there, didn’t really deserve it, and that the only reason they were trying to make him feel welcome was that Gaston had invited him.

He excused himself and went out for a cigarette. A few lungfuls of smoke made his head feel less like he had a nest of angry bees buzzing between his ears, but the dizziness was quickly replaced by guilt. There had to be something wrong with him if he couldn’t enjoy himself among people who genuinely wanted him there. He didn’t know how to do this without putting up an act.

It was no surprise when Gaston joined him some time after he’d stubbed out his cigarette.

“It’s pretty cold out here,” Gaston said. “Aren’t you coming back inside?”

“In a minute. I don’t want to smell like smoke with the kids around.”

Gaston laughed. “That’s a good excuse next time I need a break from them. They can be a handful.”

“It’s not that. I like kids,” Lupin said. He paused for a moment and wished he hadn’t put away the cigarette so that he could play with something with his fingers. With no alternative, he shoved his hands into his pockets to at least get them out of the way. “Thanks for asking me over, by the way. I appreciate it, but I guess I’m just not used to big family holidays like this. It’s a little overwhelming.”

“I thought so. That’s why I invited Albert, too. He might have been a good distraction for you.”

Lupin scrunched up his nose. Great. He couldn’t imagine how Albert would do anything but sour his mood. They’d just end up trading insults like usual. But maybe that bit of familiarity would make it easier to just accept the kindness from everyone else.

“He’s late. He missed dinner,” he said.

“He’s not coming.”

“Oh. Why not?”

“He said, let’s see, that he has better things to do than be trapped in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of boring people he doesn’t like and force himself to smile for their sake.”

Lupin rolled his eyes. “Asshole.” Then, a thought crossed his mind. “He’s not planning a job, right?” It’d be just like the petty bastard to pull off a quick heist when he knew Lupin was spending time with Gaston’s family and then mock him for being lazy and inept.

“Who knows what he’s thinking?” Gaston mused and began to make his way back inside.

Lupin followed, but he couldn’t get back in the festive mood. The thought of Albert being up to something made him anxious to get out and make sure. There was a new layer of guilt - could he really afford to take it easy and enjoy himself like this when there was a chance that Albert was busy poking his nose into some private art collection or jewellery cabinet?

And if he wasn’t, then what was he doing? What kind of holiday plans could a guy like Albert have?

“Are you still hung up about him?” Gaston asked, and Lupin hunched his shoulders like he’d been caught doing something bad.

“I can’t help it! He gets under my skin. Ugh.”

“Do you want to go and check up on him?”

“Is that okay?” Lupin asked, and even before the words had left him, he realized what a relief the thought was. He couldn’t take much more of the merry holiday cheer and closeness of a family without feeling like he’d choke, but he didn’t want to insult Gaston by leaving so soon. They’d prepared a bed for him.

“Of course. Take some leftovers and a bottle of wine with you.”

“Great!” Lupin was half-way into the kitchen before he turned back. “I mean, I’d love to stay, but… I guess this type of thing isn’t for me after all. I’m starting to feel like a stranger in my skin.”

“That’s fine. It can be a lot. Even I feel like making a run for it sometimes. Have a safe trip back.”

And that was how Lupin drove three hours on nearly empty roads to get back to Paris to see a man who was among the most irritating people he knew but whose company might be just what he needed around Christmas. If Albert got annoying, he could tell him to go fuck himself. That was real freedom.

The party at Gaston’s had been nice, a picturesque holiday celebration right out of postcards, but Lupin hadn’t known those people. He needed to be close to someone, and as pitiable as it probably was, Albert was one of the few people in his life he could imagine sharing a drink with on Christmas Eve. Everyone else he knew either wanted him dead, or had family of their own to celebrate with.

The car was an old piece of junk and had no working radio, not to mention a CD player. He’d had to buy a box of old cassette tapes at a flea market to get something to listen to. Lupin frowned as he rummaged among them and tried to find the one he wanted, the one with classics from the 70s, to no avail. Maybe it had fallen to the floor.

He didn’t know if Albert had family, he realized and gave up on the cassette. He never spoke of any. All Lupin knew was that his father was dead, but so was his, so he’d never thought twice about it. You didn’t get nominated as a potential next in line in a family like the Lupin clan without getting your first taste of theft in breast milk, and families that lived from crime had a lot of funerals and estranged relatives.

Gaston wouldn’t have invited Albert if he had someone else to spend the holidays with, Lupin reasoned and felt a little more certain about what he was doing and what kind of reception he’d get. Nobody wanted to be alone at Christmas, right? Albert was just too stubborn to admit it.

***

Albert was a spoiled prick, so he lived in a neighborhood that was quite a bit nicer than the one where Lupin did. That was another source of disagreement between them - Lupin thought of his apartment as a temporary hideout that he’d abandon like so many others before it, but Albert called his home. He’d stayed in that one place the whole time Lupin had known him while he was already on his third.

A thief shouldn’t get attached like that, but since Lupin had had to get out of two of his apartments because he’d flirted with the wrong person’s girlfriend or daughter, he guessed it wasn’t a problem if you were careful enough. And Albert was overly careful about everything, having even told Lupin not to show his face closer than three streets from his place or his neighbors would think he was weird. As if that wasn’t a battle long since lost, what with his terrible fashion sense.

The street was empty when Lupin arrived, but most windows and doors had decorative lights that made him feel like he wasn’t alone. He picked the lock to get inside the apartment building and took the stairs to the fourth floor. The last time he’d tried to break into Albert’s apartment he’d gotten a nasty electric shock. Lupin didn’t want that to happen again, so he’d built a little lock-picking gadget he could push into the lock and control remotely.

A few clicks and he was done. Lupin wondered if he should keep his gadget as an ace up his sleeve, or show it to Albert and brag, but he didn’t have time to make up his mind. As he stepped inside and closed the door with a barely audible click, he realized that the apartment wasn’t silent like he’d expected. Albert wasn’t in bed yet.

Well, he was, but not alone.

Lupin spent about five seconds listening to the sighs, grunts and sounds of sloppy kisses coming from inside the apartment. Oh, shit. Time to get out and pretend he was never here.

He walked backwards to the door, but he wasn’t being careful anymore, so he stumbled over a pair of shoes that had been left lying around. He didn’t let out more than a surprised gasp, but he had to slam his hand against the door to keep his balance, and that was too much. 

The sounds stopped. There was a shuffling noise when someone got off the bed, then footsteps. The lights were turned on.

The fury on Albert’s face as he stared at him, a hand still on the light switch, made Lupin sure he could hear a sizzling sound and feel his skin burn. His eyes were narrowed and cheeks flushed, but it was his lips that Lupin couldn’t stop looking at. Albert’s mouth was an angry line, ready to snarl something vicious at him. It was also the mouth of someone who’d just been kissed, hard and for a long time. His T-shirt looked like he’d hastily pulled it back down after it had been on its way to being taken off.

A man came to stand behind Albert and looked at Lupin with a suspicious frown.

“Who’s this?”

“This is nobody,” Albert said.

“You said you live alone.”

“I’m just visiting! It’s Christmas!” Lupin said quickly, knowing that if he ruined Albert’s fling, he could count on him playing dirty and getting the pettiest revenge ever.

“It’s also one in the morning. How’d you get in?” the man asked, and Lupin wondered if Albert had dragged a cop into his bed. That was one way to live on the edge, he guessed.

“I have a key,” he said, then immediately added, “and that’s because I’m family! Look at us, we’re clearly cousins!” They kind of had the same facial structure, so maybe the guy would buy it.

“Get out,” Albert said, and his tone made it clear even one more bullshit comment would make him snap. It was nothing new between them, but it popped the expectant and happy mood Lupin had been building up the whole way from Gaston’s. He didn’t know what he’d been looking forward to when coming here, but it was obvious he wasn’t going to get it.

“Yeah, yeah, let me just drop these off. Merry Christmas from Gaston. Make sure to call him tomorrow and say thanks.”

Lupin dropped the bags with the leftovers and the wine bottle on the drawer by the door. He was tempted to take at least the wine with him. Since he’d planned to stay with Gaston for the following days, he didn’t have anything to lift the mood in his apartment. If he got lucky, he might find a can of beer that had rolled under the bed.

If Albert had a decent bone in his body, he would have thanked Lupin, too, because he was clever enough to realize that Lupin had driven all the way from Gaston’s in the middle of the night just to bring him food and drink. But all he did was flip the light switch and march back inside the apartment. His date followed after an awkward moment of silence, and Lupin was left alone and in the dark by the door.

“Merry Christmas to you, too, asshole,” he muttered and made sure to slam the door on his way out. He hoped the neighbors would give Albert hell the next morning.

It felt colder outside than just a moment ago. Lupin fished his gloves out of his pockets and put them on, wishing he had a scarf, too. It’d take him at least half an hour to walk back to his place, and that was if he hurried. He didn’t feel like putting in the effort. There was nothing but an empty fridge and an empty bed waiting for him.

There was nobody else within view, but Paris was a city that was never quiet. The rumble of distant traffic, the occasional shout or burst of laughter, and the rasp of his own feet on asphalt made him feel like he’d stepped inside some pocket universe. There had been a thin layer of snow on the ground in the morning, but it had melted after a few hours, leaving Christmas in Paris bleak and dark.

There had been enough snow in the countryside for the kids to build a snowman on Gaston’s yard, Lupin thought mournfully. He’d helped, and it had been the most fun he’d had in ages. Now that he wasn’t there anymore, it was tempting to get mad at Albert and make it his fault that Lupin had missed the rest of the holidays at Gaston’s, but he knew that wasn’t it. He should have called Albert and told him he was coming before even getting into his car.

He noticed the entrance to a small park. The gate was closed, but that just gave him the urge to climb over it and wander around a little. He didn’t know this area well, and it was more appealing to do some exploring than go straight back home. It was a way to distract himself so that he wouldn’t have to think too hard about tonight’s events.

The lights were on at the park even though it was closed to the public at night, but the lamps stood so far away from each other that there were areas of near darkness between them. The ground was slippery, and Lupin enjoyed the uncertainty of not knowing what was under his feet each time he left the safe light of one of the street posts. The sounds of the city felt even more distant now, and once he was sure he’d reached the middle point of the park, he plopped himself on a bench on the edges of a circle of light.

In the near-silence and cold, it was hard to imagine that just a few hours earlier, he’d been surrounded by so much chatter and laughter it had made him dizzy. He had to be nuts that he’d willingly left, but he felt no regret about that, only that he hadn’t found anything in its place in Paris.

Just what had he been expecting? Lupin tilted his head back and let out a long sigh, annoyed that the stars weren’t visible through the clouds. After the initial shock of feeling welcome with Gaston’s family, he’d realized he could play along all he wanted, but he didn’t really belong with them. It was a different set of motions than in his childhood but just as fake.

A pang of self-pity twisted his stomach with the awareness that he’d been hoping Albert was lonely so he could waltz in with food, wine and a bright smile under the pretense of keeping him company. He would have liked to be the hero who saved someone else’s Christmas. Albert might not have been his favorite person in the world, but he was someone he knew, and he could roll with his punches. Lupin didn’t have too many people like that. If his plan had worked, he would have had a nice Christmas, too, and maybe gotten a nice word or a smile of thanks from the bastard.

It was funny how he didn’t mind isolation and sometimes even holed up for a week in his apartment to have the peace to plan his next job, but having to spend these couple of days alone got under his skin. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have any friends. He had tons. It was just that not being anyone’s first choice for the holidays made him feel like he was missing out on something, or like he’d failed in some very basic way. Someone who broke the law almost every day should have been above mundane worries like that, but apparently not.

Lupin made an annoyed sound at himself and reached inside his jacket for a cigarette. The greatest thief in the world in the making, and he hadn’t thought to steal anyone’s heart so he wouldn’t have to be by himself. Albert had gotten the best of him again.

Since when did Albert have a new boyfriend anyway? He never told Lupin when he found someone, but Lupin could always tell from the way his behavior changed. There was a little less bite in him then, but when he’d seen Albert at Gaston’s workshop the week before, he’d been the usual asshole.

He was starting to get chilly just sitting there, so he decided to get moving and go back to his apartment. He should start planning what to do on New Year’s Eve to end the year with a bang that’d leave Albert’s ears ringing until March at least.

Lupin only had time to take one step before his phone started ringing. The jingle was unnaturally loud in the deserted park and made him jump and nearly burn his fingers on his cigarette. Shit, who was calling him at this hour? Maybe Gaston was checking up on how he was doing.

No, it was Albert. Lupin stared at the name on the screen for a while and wondered if he was in the mood to listen to that conceited bastard right now. But curiosity got the best of him, and he answered.

“What?”

“Are you still around?”

No, I came by car so I’m already back home and have a cute girl in my arms, Lupin thought sourly, but it wasn’t time to play that card yet.

“What is it to you?”

“Nothing. But if you want some of that wine you brought over, now’s your only chance.”

“Why don’t you drink it with your date?”

“I kicked him out.”

“That’s not my problem. What if I don’t want to come?”

“Then don’t. But it’s a really nice vintage and I’m not offering twice. Bye,” Albert said and hung up on him.

“Fuck you,” Lupin said even though there was nobody to hear him. It was only some five minutes back to Albert’s place, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to go and admit that he had nothing better to do. Albert might think he was desperate for company. But then again, Albert was the one who’d kicked a hot date out almost immediately after Lupin had shown his face, and that gave him enough ammunition to shoot back if he tried to mock him. He might just as well go and have some of that wine.

He finished his cigarette and slapped his cheeks to give himself a little of the joyous energy he was going to need when he saw Albert again. He couldn’t slink back to his place like a man accepting charity. He had to get back the confidence that had been in his step earlier that night.

Lupin rang the doorbell this time. He’d keep his new gadget a secret for now.

“Oh, you came,” Albert said when he came to open the door. He was holding the wine bottle in his other hand, and Lupin was annoyed to see that he’d already gotten started on it.

“Couldn’t wait even ten minutes for me?” he asked.

“I thought you weren’t coming.” Albert took a swig straight from the bottle and walked into the kitchen as Lupin took off his jacket.

“What happened to your boyfriend?”

“He’s not my boyfriend. I picked him up at a bar tonight. He got annoying after you left, so I kicked him out.”

“You don’t usually bring guys you don’t know back to your place.” In fact, Albert was ludicrously protective of his apartment. He’d been shaking with anger when Lupin had figured out where he was living, as if he’d just disrespected some boundary or found a weakness to exploit.

Albert shrugged and put a glass in front of Lupin and began to pour him wine. “Just felt like it today.”

“If it was just sex you wanted, I could have - whoa, have you looked at yourself in the mirror?”

Albert rolled his eyes and pushed the glass of wine closer to Lupin. His hand went up to rub the pattern of blooming hickeys all over his neck, but he didn’t seem bothered by them. The beginning of a satisfied smirk was tugging on his lips, and Lupin took a gulp of the wine to give himself a second to think.

“Is that what you mean by annoying?” he asked.

“He got into his head that you’re into me since you barged in here like that, and he wanted to leave a mark for you to see.”

“And you let him?”

“I thought it was funny at first, but then I realized I won’t be able to go anywhere like this without wearing a scarf. And I hate scarves. They don’t go with my coat.”

“You’re one shallow asshole. That’s the reason you kicked him out?”

“I made sure he left happy.”

Lupin glanced down at his wine, then at the bottle that Albert had been drinking from, and wondered if he’d at least brushed his teeth. But it wasn’t a fight he felt like starting. Albert was in a much better mood than he’d been expecting. Maybe he wouldn’t have any mocking insults for him, and they could just drink the wine and not bark at each other like mad dogs for once.

“Anyway,” he went on, “if you just wanted a Christmas quickie, you could have called me over.”

“That’d be weird.”

“How?”

“We only sleep together when a job goes wrong.”

Lupin rubbed his nose as he thought back to all the times they’d ended up in each other’s arms, exchanging more insults than kisses but somehow making it work. Albert was right. It was just stress relief to let out some steam, or - in a few cases that he’d really rather not remember - desperation to find something else to do than think about their almost certain death in some ancient trap or captivity.

But if Albert ever just asked, he’d say yes, and it was annoying to realize that this feeling only flowed one way.

“Besides, I thought you’d be at Gaston’s,” Albert said.

“He said he invited you, too.”

Albert laughed. “I’ve been there once. It was awful. I don’t want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with those people ever again. At most, I’ll go back for his funeral, but that’s it.”

“Asshole.”

“Oh, yeah? How come you came back to Paris?” Albert asked with an annoyed click of his tongue. “And don’t say it was just to bring me leftovers and wine.”

There was no other good explanation. Lupin didn’t want to admit how out of place he’d felt at the party, surrounded by people who all knew and loved each other and were trying to make him some space among them. That was only happiness on the surface. 

“You’re right. It was boring,” he said, feeling a little guilty after Gaston had done so much for him. “You know how I’d really like to spend Christmas?”

“How?”

“With the hottest chick ever in my arms. She’d have boobs at least this big,” Lupin said and gestured with his hands, “and brown or auburn hair. I don’t know. And I’d have a gang of lackeys who’d respect me and follow me everywhere because I’m the best thief in the world.”

“Uhhuh. Isn’t a dream like that just admitting how little you actually have? You’ve got nothing.”

“I’ve got you,” Lupin said and was going to add that it might be a miserable start, but the only way was up, or that he shouldn’t get too greedy too early, but nothing came out, and the words were left hanging between them. Albert turned his eyes down to his wine.

“Yeah, well...” he said and was clearly struggling to find a good comeback that wouldn’t double as an insult towards himself. “Don’t get used to it.”

“Why? Because you aren’t going to stick around? Where are you going to go? This is all you have, too.”

“That’s not true! You don’t know a single thing about what I have, or what I want!”

Lupin knew enough that he could put two and two together. Someone as careful as Albert didn’t pick up random guys and bring them home. He’d only done so because it was Christmas and he didn’t have anywhere to be. That he was plagued by the same silly loneliness made him seem a little less annoying than usual, and Lupin felt a rare tug at his heart as he realized that was why Albert had called him back. They were both such idiots.

He pushed his glass closer so Albert could fill it again.

“I hate Christmas,” Albert said, his words just a tad slurred, and Lupin couldn’t help but giggle.

“You sound like a cartoon villain.”

“That’s just the thing! You can’t steal anything at Christmas without looking like the Grinch. There’s nothing to do. But I’ve got big plans for New Year’s Eve.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Just wait and see.”

“Damn tease.” Now he wouldn’t be able to have any peace of mind. His brain would be constantly busy and trying to figure out what Albert was plotting so he could pull off an even better stunt. The first thing Lupin would do once going home was to make a list of all interesting exhibitions and events in Paris around New Year’s.

But he wasn’t home yet, and it was only the early hours of Christmas Day. For now he could focus on the wine and how amicable it was making him feel. He got up and sauntered over to the couch, emptying the glass on the way and putting it down on the living room table. 

Albert’s couch was nice, nothing like the blocky thing at Lupin’s place that always had something sharp poking at him when he sat on it. Maybe he’d spend the night. Now that he was comfortable, he didn’t want to go back outside where it was dark and wet and cold.

“Move,” Albert said and pushed Lupin’s leg away so he could take over half of the couch.

“I was here first.”

“It’s my couch.”

“So? I can’t believe I have to explain to you how thievery works. But fine, I’ll steal something else tonight.”

“Like what?”

Lupin gave Albert a long look, then edged closer so that there was no space between them and he could wrap one arm around his shoulder.

“You.”

“I thought you said you already had me.” Albert put his glass on the floor, and Lupin guessed that was enough of a blessing that he could go ahead and kiss him.

Albert smelled foreign in his arms. Lupin wondered if it was the cologne of the other guy who’d been around earlier. It made him want to hold him tighter, and he let his lips travel down to his neck where he’d already been kissed.

“Don’t make them worse,” Albert growled and pushed Lupin’s head away. “And no sex. I’m tired.”

Lupin didn’t want sex either, he decided. He’d already gotten what he’d been after, the feeling that he belonged somewhere, with someone, even if that wasn’t where he wanted to be most of the time. Just knowing that he had some sort of meaningful connection with someone made it easy to revel in his life that was nothing but a big mess of constantly moving and reshaping pieces.

Companionship would be even better, he thought as he shifted to give Albert the space to climb into his lap. They worked well together when the circumstances forced them into it. Albert had the mind of a corporate villain and could play with both the black and white pieces on a chessboard without his opponent realizing it. Lupin had the imagination and showmanship to make anything happen. If they teamed up instead of squabbling all the time, they would be unstoppable.

It had no chance of ever happening. One day, the connection they had would snap. The game they were playing could end with either of them as the winner, but Lupin knew they both had too much pride to stick around after losing. He’d been entirely honest when he’d said he’d like to have a gang of regulars with him in the future, but he knew with resigned certainty that Albert wouldn’t be part of it.

He fell on his back on the couch and pulled Albert down with him. The sudden movement broke their kiss, and when Albert’s mouth came back down, it was on Lupin’s neck and not his lips. Lupin wondered what Gaston would say if they showed up before him with a matching set of hickeys.

A large part of him found the thought hilarious, but another, one he didn’t usually listen to, felt a throb of longing for something he couldn’t have and made him crane his head and expose even more skin.


End file.
